Match-safe.



F. E. MEAD.

v MATCH sun.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 30, 1909.

988,887. Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

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F. E. MEAD.

MA'I'GH SAFE. 7 APPLICATION FILED OUT. 30, 1909.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

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FRANK E. MEAD, 0F UTICA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MATCH-SAFE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 30, 1909.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Serial No. 525,440.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, FRANK E. MEAD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Utica, in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Match Safes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved match safe provided with means for delivering matches therefrom one at a time and consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved match safe with a portion of the front wall re moved. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of the spring bar and pawl for actuating the delivery roller.

My improved match safe comprises a rear wall 1, a front wall 2, side walls 3, a bottom 41- and a cover 5, the cover is here shown as hinged at one side as at 6 so that it may be opened to enable matches to be placed in the safe. The front wall 2 terminates short of the bottom and has an inwardly extending ledge 7, the upper side of which inclines downwardly and rearwarclly as at 8. An opening 9 is formed between the ledge of the front wall and the bottom 4 and the upper side of the bottom is hollowed or recessed so that the same forms a trough as at 10. An inclined partition 11 is secured in the upper portion of the match safe, extends downwardly and forwardly and terminates at a point somewhat spaced from and above the ledge 8 of the front wall. A cross bar 12 connects the side walls of the match safe and is disposed below the lower portion of the inclined partition 10 and the said cross bar has a suitable number of downwardly extending stop arms 13. In eflect, the upper portion of the match safe forms a hopper or magazine 14 for the reception'of matches, which hopper or magazine has an opening 15 at its lower side, said opening being formed between the ledge 8 of the front wall, the lower edge of the inclined partition 11, the bar 12 and the stop fingers 13.

A delivery roller 16 is disposed transversely of the match safe and at the discharge opening 15 of the hopper or magazine 14, one side of the said delivery roller being disposed close to the rear edge of the ledge 8 of the front wall and just below the stop arms 13 of the cross bar:12. The said delivery roller has journals 17 mounted in bearing openings in the side walls 1 of the match safe and on one of the said journals, on the upper side of the match safe, is secured a ratchet wheel 18. The delivery roller is provided with peripheral longitudinal grooves 19 each of a size adapted to receive a match so that the matches which are lowermost in the magazine or hopper of the match safe will lie against the upper portion of the delivery roller and some of them will be disposed in some of the grooves of the roller. A spring pawl 20 which is secured as at 21 on the outer side of the match safe bears against the under side of the ratchet wheel 18 and prevents casual rotation of the latter and of the delivery roller. A spring bar 22 which is on the same side of the match safe has its upper end secured to a lug 23 which projects from the match safe and is also secured by means of a staple 2 1 driven in said side of the match safe. The lower end of the spring bar, which is free, is pivotally connected as at 25 to a pawl 26 which by gravity engages one of the teeth on the upper side of the ratchet wheel. A push rod 27 operates in a guide 28 which projects from the match safe and has its inner end connected to the spring bar 22, a push button 29 being at the outer or front end of said push rod. A hook 30 is shown in Fig. 2 for securing the cover of the match safe and the rear wall of the match safe is provided at its upper and lower end with openings 31 for engagement by nails or the like devices so that the match safe may be secured against a wall or on a piece of furniture or other suitable support.

The operation of my invention is as follows :-Some of the matches being as herein before stated disposed on the upper side of the delivery roller when the push rod 27 is moved inwardly to cause the spring bar 22 and pawl 26 by coaetion with the ratchet wheel 18 to impart a partial revolution to the said roller, one of the matches will drop from the rear side of the roller into the trough 10 in the bottom of the safe where it can be readily reached through the opening 9. The spring bar 22 automatically returns the push rod and the pawl 26 to the initial position shown in Fig. 2. The stop arms 13 which are disposed immediately above the roller 19 prevent any matches from being carried by and with the roller excepting such as are in the grooves on the upper side of the roller.

What is claimed is A match boX comprising a substantially rectangular structure, the said box having a partition connected with the rear wall and inclined toward and terminating a suitable distance away from the front wall, the front wall having its lower portion cut away and being provided with an inclined ledge positioned below the inclined partition to provide a passage between the said ledge and the partition, a longitudinally grooved feed roller within the passage, stop arms between the feed roller and the partition, a ratchet 'wheel connected with one end of the feed roller and the outer side of the boX, a fiat spring pawl contacting the under face of the ratchet wheel, a resilient bar arranged vertically of the box, a staple sustaining the said bar upon the box, a gravity pawl arranged at an angle to pivotally connect with the bar, said pawl adapted to engage the upper face of the ratchet wheel, and a push rod connected with the bar and arranged at a substantially right angle thereto, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. MEAD.

Witnesses H. B. MEAD, G. E. MEAD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

